JP2005253980A - Golf club head with many undercuts - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a golf club head with an appropriate sweet spot. <P>SOLUTION: A club head body (10) has a ball stroking surface (11), a top line (12), a sole (13) and a back (14) with a cavity, a heel (15) and a toe (16). Many recessed undercuts (22) are provided in the cavity in a state of extending afar from the cavity (20). The recessed portions can be directed in various modes. In a first structure, the recessed portions are longitudinally aligned with a ball stroking surface in the direction from the heel to the toe. In a second structure, the recessed portions are crosswise aligned with the ball stroking surface in the direction from the front to the back and extends from the heel to the toe. In a third structure, a plurality of recessed portions are composed of ones longitudinally arranged and ones transversely arranged. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a golf club head, and more particularly to a golf club head having a large number of undercuts.

  Iron-type golf club heads generally have a front or ball striking surface, a top line and a sole. The front face interfaces with the golf ball and strikes it. A plurality of score lines or grooves are provided on the face to help apply spin to the ball. The top line is generally configured to give a specific pain to the golfer and become a weight. The sole of a golf club is particularly important for golf shots. This is because, during a golf shot, it contacts the ground and interfaces with it.

  In a set of conventional iron type golf clubs (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “set”), each club has a shaft with a club head attached to one end and a grip attached to the other end. The club head has a face for hitting a golf ball. The angle formed by the face and the vertical plane is called a loft angle.

  The set generally includes a 2-9 iron and a pitching wedge. Other wedges, such as lob wedges, gap wedges and sand wedges may optionally be added to the set. Each iron typically has a shaft length that decreases from the beginning to the end of the set as the loft for each club head increases from a long iron to a short iron. The length of the club gives the ball launch conditions various performance characteristics during impact as well as the loft and center of gravity of the club head and determines the distance the ball will fly. The flight distance generally increases with decreasing loft angle. However, the difficulty of use also increases as the loft angle decreases.

  Iron-type golf clubs can generally be divided into three categories: blades, muscle backs, and cavity backs. The blade is a conventional club with a substantially uniform appearance from the sole to the top line. However, there may be some taper from the sole to the top line.

  The muscle back has a substantially conventional appearance and resembles a blade, but with an extra material on the back. This extra material may be in the form of ribs that can be used to lower the center of gravity of the club head. If the club head's center of gravity is lower than the center of gravity of the ball at the time of contact, the resulting golf shot launch angle increases.

  The blade and muscle back designs are relatively difficult to use because they have a narrow sweet spot (ie, the area of the face that results in the desired golf shot when hitting a golf ball) and are therefore typically It can only be used by skilled (skilled) golfers. However, because these designs are less forgiving than cavity backs, these designs allow an experienced golfer to control the ball to shape the golf shot as desired.

  The cavity back is a modern design that moves some of the club mass around the club by providing a cavity or cavity in the back of the club opposite the ball striking face. As a result, a club with a wide sweet spot and high tolerance can be obtained. This can increase the size of the club face and also results in a wide sweet spot. The ambient weight gained by the cavities also increases the moment of inertia of the club, which moment of inertia of the club against torque, eg, torque caused by off-center hits (when hit off-center). It is a scale. Due to the increased moment of inertia, these clubs are easier to hit than blades and muscle backs, and therefore can be used by even inexperienced golfers and beginner golfers.

  Other known golf clubs achieve the desired balance or moment of inertia by adding weight to the club. These clubs typically add a weight member to the center of the bottom surface of the sole.

  The present invention relates to a golf club having multiple undercuts. The club head has a main body including a hitting surface, a top line, a sole and a back, and a heel and a toe. The bag has a cavity. The plurality of recesses are provided in the cavity, and the recesses extend away from the cavity. The golf club head is preferably an iron type golf club head.

  The recess can be directed in various ways. In the first configuration, the recess is longitudinally aligned with the ball striking surface in the direction from the heel to the toe. In the second configuration, the recess is aligned in the transverse direction with respect to the ball striking surface in the front-to-back direction and extends from the heel to the toe direction. In the third configuration, the plurality of recesses include both recesses arranged in the longitudinal direction and recesses arranged in the lateral direction.

  The longitudinally arranged recesses preferably include a first recess provided in the heel portion of the cavity and a second recess provided in the toe portion of the cavity. The third recess is preferably provided in the middle between the first recess and the second recess. The volume of each of the first and second recesses is from about 1 cubic centimeter to about 10 cubic centimeters and the depth is from about 0.300 inch (7.62 mm) to about 0.800 inch (20.32 mm). The volume of the third recess is larger than the volume of each of the first recess and the second recess. As a modification, the volume of the third recess is larger than the total volume of the first recess and the second recess. The depth of the third recess is about 0.450 inch (11.43 mm) to about 0.700 inch (17.78 mm).

  The laterally arranged recesses preferably include a first recess located adjacent to the back and a second recess located adjacent to the first recess.

  An insert is preferably disposed in each of the recesses. Preferred inserts include weight members and vibration damping members. There are various types of inserts that are placed in any particular recess, resulting in many alternatives or variations in club head design. The particular design chosen will depend on the golfer's swing and the desired characteristics of the club. For the recesses arranged in the longitudinal direction, the weight insert weight is preferably about 10 grams or more. For laterally arranged recesses, the weight insert weight is about 10 to about 20 grams. The mass of the weight member may be less than 10 grams. For example, if a third weight member is provided, this mass is planned to be less than 10 grams. In comparison, the specific gravity of the weight member is greater than the specific gravity of the club head. When two or more weight members are provided, the weight members may or may not be substantially the same. The mass of the damping member is preferably less than 10 grams and its specific gravity is less than the specific gravity of the club head. The recess may further include a plurality of inserts. For example, both the weight member and the vibration damping member may be disposed in any specific recess.

  The present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals indicate the same elements.

  FIG. 1 is a rear view of a first golf club head 1 of the present invention. The club head 1 has a main body 10 having a hitting surface 11, a top line 12, a sole 13 and a back 14. The club head 1 further has a heel 15 and a toe 16. The back 14 has a cavity 20 that has a number of undercuts in the form of a plurality of recesses 22 extending away from the cavity 20. Preferably, the club head 1 is an iron type golf club head.

  Recesses 22 are provided in the club body 10, and these recesses extend toward the sole 13. This advantageously allows the material to be added to the club head 1 without breaking through the sole 13. For example, in known club heads having weight inserts, the weight is typically added through the sole. However, the weight is often softer than the club head body, and the club sole hits the ground during normal use of the golf club, so the weight tends to make a ringing sound or wear, As a result, the appearance becomes unsightly. However, due to the recess 22 of the present invention, a weight or other member can be added to the club head while being isolated from the sole 13. This helps prevent weights or other components from touching the ground during a golf swing and keeps the club look like new.

  By providing a plurality of recesses 22, a plurality of inserts can be separately and independently added to the golf club according to the present invention. Each recess 22 can receive an insert independently of the other recess 22. The same insert may be provided in each of the recesses 22 or each recess 22 can accommodate its own member. In this way, the golf club can be manufactured in accordance with the golfer's unique swing characteristics. Preferably, the insert completely fills the recess 22.

  FIG. 2 is another view of the golf club head of FIG. In the illustrated embodiment, the recess 22 is substantially longitudinally aligned with the ball striking face 11 in the heel to toe direction. The golf club head 1 has a first recess 25 provided in the heel portion of the cavity 20 and a second recess 26 provided in the toe portion of the cavity 20. The volume of each of the recesses 25, 26 is preferably from about 1 cubic centimeter to about 10 cubic centimeters. The depth of each of the recesses 25, 26 is preferably from about 0.300 inch (7.62 mm) to about 0.800 inch (20.32 mm), more preferably from about 0.450 inch (11.43 mm) to about 0.700 inch (17.78 mm). With these dimensions, an insert of an appropriate size and mass, such as a weight member, can be added to each of the recesses 25 and 26. It should be noted that due to the contour of the club head 1, the depth of the recess varies depending on where the measurement is made.

  FIG. 2 shows a first insert 35 disposed in the first recess 25 and a second insert 36 disposed in the second recess 26. The inserts 35 and 36 may be weight members. Each of the recesses 25 and 26 may have weight members 35 and 36, or only one of the recesses 25 and 26 may have weight members 35 and 36. As a modification, the weight members 35 and 36 may not be provided in the recesses 25 and 26. Where weight members 35, 36 are provided, the weight of each such weight member 35, 36 is preferably from about 5 grams to about 30 grams, more preferably about 10 grams or more. The weight members 35, 36 can also be described relative to the club head. The specific gravity of each weight member 35, 36 is preferably greater than the specific gravity of the club head. The weight members 35 and 36 may be substantially the same, but may be different. The specific gravity of the first weight member 35 is smaller than the specific gravity of the second weight member 36. This may be desirable for golfers who tend to slice the ball. This is because by pushing the center of gravity of the club head toward the heel 15, it becomes easier to make it a closed stance, and the risk of the club head remaining in an open stance upon impact is reduced. As a modification, the specific gravity of the first weight member 35 may be larger than the specific gravity of the second weight member 36. This may be desirable for golfers who tend to hook the ball. This is because it becomes difficult to make the closed stance by pushing the center of gravity of the club head toward the toe 16, and the club head may become too closed or too closed when it is impacted. This is because it decreases. Preferably, a weight member is provided in each of the recesses 25, 26, thereby transferring most of the club head mass to the periphery, increasing the moment of inertia (MOI) and reducing the sweet spot size of the club head. growing. Inertia is the property of an object that remains stationary or in uniform motion if no external force is applied. MOI is a measure of an object's resistance to angular acceleration about a given axis and is equal to the sum of the squared product of each mass element in the object and the element's distance from the axis. Thus, as the distance from the axis increases, the MOI increases, the club head torsional resistance due to off-center hits increases, and the club becomes more tolerant.

  One or both of the inserts 35 and 36 may be a damping material instead of the weight member. Preferred damping materials that reduce vibrations in the club head, including vibrations that occur during off-center hits, include one or more of rubber, urethane, polyurethane, butadiene, polybutadiene, and silicone. The insert may completely fill the recess or may fill only a portion thereof.

  The illustrated embodiment of the golf club head 1 further includes a third recess 27 located intermediate the first recess 25 and the second recess 26. The third recess 27 allows the third insert to be added to the club head 1 independently of the above-described insert. The volume of the third recess 27 is preferably larger than each of the first and second recesses 25 and 26. The volume of the third recess 27 is preferably larger than the sum of the volumes of the first recess 25 and the second recess 26, or preferably 2 of the sum of the volumes of the first recess 25 and the second recess 26. It should be more than double. The depth of the third recess 27 is preferably from about 0.450 inch (11.43 mm) to about 0.700 inch (17.78 mm), more preferably from about 0.250 inch (6.35 mm) to about 0.750 inch (17.78 mm). 0.500 inch (12.7 mm). With these dimensions, a member having an appropriate size and mass can be added to the center of the club head 1.

  A third insert 37 may be provided in the third recess 27. The third insert 37 may be a weight member. If it is a weight member, its mass is preferably about 10 grams or less. In relative terms, the specific gravity of the third weight member 37 is preferably smaller than the specific gravity of the club head. The specific gravity of the third weight member 37 is preferably smaller than each of the specific weights of the first weight member 35 and the second weight member 36. As a modification, the specific gravity of the third weight member 37 may be larger than each of the specific weights of the first weight member 35 and the second weight member 36. As a modification, the specific gravity of the third weight member 37 may be between the specific gravity of the first weight member 35 and the specific gravity of the second weight member 36.

  Instead of being a weight member, the insert 37 may be something else, for example a damping member. The use of a damping member is useful for reducing vibrations in the club head 1 that occur, for example, during off-center hits. The damping member 37 may be used alone or in conjunction with other inserts 35, 36, such as weight members. The mass of the damping member 37 is preferably smaller than the mass of each of the weight members 35 and 36. When viewed relatively, the specific gravity of the damping member 37 is smaller than the specific gravity of the club head 1.

  FIG. 3 is a rear view of the second golf club head 2 of the present invention. Similar to the first club head 1, the second club head 2 has a plurality of recesses. The illustrated embodiment has a toe recess 26, a center recess 27, and a heel recess 25, similar to the first club head 1. However, the shape and volume of the recess are different from those of the first club head 1.

  FIG. 4 is a rear view of the third golf club head 3 of the present invention. Similar to the club head described above, the club head 3 has a main body having a hitting surface, a top line, a sole, a back, a heel and a toe. The back has a cavity, and the cavity has a number of undercuts in the form of a plurality of recesses extending away from the cavity. Recesses are provided in the club body, and these recesses extend toward the sole.

  The recess of the third club head 3 is substantially aligned laterally with respect to the ball striking face in the front-to-back direction and extends from the heel to the toe direction. The plurality of recesses includes a first recess 42 located adjacent to the back. Preferably, the volume of the first recess 42 is about 1 cubic centimeter to about 10 cubic centimeters. Further, the second recess 44 may be provided on the back of the club head adjacent to the first recess 42. The volume of the second recess 44 is also preferably from about 1 cubic centimeter to about 10 cubic centimeters. Due to the contour of the club head 3, the volume of the second recess 44 is likely to be smaller than the volume of the first recess 42.

  An insert may be provided in one or both of the recesses 42,44. Intended inserts include weights and damping materials. For example, the weight member may be disposed in the first recess 42, and the vibration damping member may be disposed in the second recess 44. As a modified example, the damping member may be disposed in the first recess 42 and the weight member may be disposed in the second recess 44, so that the center of gravity becomes closer to the rear portion of the club head 3 and the MOI increases. , The tolerance of the club becomes even higher. As a variant, both recesses 42, 44 may accommodate the same type of insert. When the weight and / or damping member is positioned in the recesses 42 and 44, the mass of such member affects the feel and operability of the golf club. The specific gravity of the weight member is preferably greater than the specific gravity of the club head, and the specific gravity of the damping member is preferably less than the specific gravity of the club head. The weight member weight is planned to be about 10 to about 20 grams.

  FIG. 5 is a rear view of the fourth golf club head 4 of the present invention. The club head 4 has a main body having a hitting surface, a top line, a sole, a back, a heel and a toe. The back has a cavity, and the cavity has a number of undercuts in the form of a plurality of recesses extending away from the cavity. The recess is provided in the club body and extends toward the sole.

  The recess of the club head 4 includes both types of recesses described above. A first recess 52 is substantially laterally aligned with the ball striking surface and extends from the heel to the toe direction. A second recess 53 is provided in the heel portion of the cavity substantially aligned with the ball striking surface in the longitudinal direction. A third recess 54 is substantially longitudinally aligned with the face and is provided in the toe portion of the cavity. The second recess 53 and the third recess 54 are aligned in the direction from the heel to the toe. The fourth recess 55 is preferably provided in the middle between the second recess 53 and the third recess 54. Any desired combination of weight members and damping members may include recesses 52, 53, 54, 55. In a preferred embodiment, the damping member is provided in the first recess 52, and the weight member is provided in the second recess 52 and the third recess 54. Either the weight member or the damping member can be provided in the fourth recess 55.

  For each of the golf club heads described above, the recess can accommodate a plurality of inserts or hybrid inserts. For example, the weight member may be inserted into a lower portion of any one of the recesses, and the damping member may be inserted into the upper portion of the weight member. This advantageously allows an improvement in the size of the MOI and sweet spot, while at the same time allowing damping.

  Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it should be understood that these embodiments are merely illustrative and do not limit the invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications in form and detail can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, the present invention is not limited by the above-described exemplary embodiments, but is defined only based on the description of the claims and the equivalent scope thereof.

1 is a rear view of a first golf club head of the present invention. FIG. 2 is another view of the golf club head of FIG. It is a rear view of the 2nd golf club head of this invention. It is a rear view of the 3rd golf club head of this invention. It is a rear view of the 4th golf club head of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Golf club head 10 Main body 11 Hitting surface 12 Top line 13 Sole 14 Back 15 Heel 16 Toe 20 Cavity 22 Recess 35, 36 Insert or weight member

Claims (27)

A golf club head,
A main body having a heel and a toe constituting a hitting surface, a top line, a sole, and a back,
A cavity is provided in the back;
A plurality of recesses are provided in the cavity, and the recesses extend away from the cavity.
Golf club head.   A first recess in which the recess is substantially longitudinally aligned with the ball striking surface in a heel-to-toe direction, and the plurality of recesses are positioned in a heel portion of the cavity; and a toe portion of the cavity The golf club head according to claim 1, further comprising a second recess positioned on the golf club.   The golf club head of claim 2, wherein the first and second recesses each have a volume of about 1 cubic centimeter to about 10 cubic centimeters.   The golf club head of claim 2, wherein the first and second recesses each have a depth of about 0.300 inch (7.62 mm) to about 0.800 inch (20.32 mm).   The golf club head according to claim 2, comprising a first weight member positioned in the first recess and a second weight member positioned in the second recess.   The golf club head of claim 5, wherein the first and second weight members each have a mass of about 10 grams or more. A damping insert positioned in one of the first and second recesses;
The golf club head according to claim 2, further comprising: a weight insert positioned in the other of the first and second recesses.   The golf club head according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of recesses have a third recess in the middle of the first recess and the second recess.   The first and second recesses each have a volume of about 1 cubic centimeter to about 10 cubic centimeters, and the third recess has a volume greater than the volume of each of the first and second recesses. The golf club head according to claim 8.   The first and second recesses each have a depth of about 0.300 inch (7.62 mm) to about 0.800 inch (20.32 mm), and the third recess is about 0.450 inch. The golf club head of claim 8, having a depth of (11.43 mm) to about 0.700 inch (17.78 mm). A first weight member positioned in the first recess;
A second weight member positioned in the second recess;
The golf club head according to claim 8, further comprising a third weight member positioned in the third recess.   The golf club head of claim 11, wherein the first and second weight members each have a mass of about 10 grams or more and the third weight member has a weight of about 10 grams or less. A first weight member positioned in the first recess;
A second weight member positioned in the second recess;
The golf club head according to claim 8, further comprising: a vibration damping member positioned in the third recess.   The golf club head of claim 11, wherein the first and second weight members each have a mass of about 10 grams or more and the damping member has a mass of about 10 grams or less.   The recesses are aligned substantially laterally with respect to the ball striking surface in a front-to-back direction, extend in a heel-to-toe direction, and the plurality of recesses are positioned adjacent to the back. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the golf club head has one recess.   The golf club head of claim 15, wherein the first recess has a volume of about 1 cubic centimeter to about 10 cubic centimeters. The plurality of recesses have a second recess adjacent to the first recess;
Having a weight member positioned in the second recess;
The golf club head according to claim 16.   The golf club head according to claim 15, further comprising a vibration damping member positioned in the first recess.   The golf club head of claim 15, wherein the plurality of recesses have second recesses adjacent to the first recesses.   The golf club head according to claim 19, comprising a vibration damping member positioned in the first recess and a weight member positioned in the second recess.   The golf club head of claim 20, wherein the weight member has a mass of about 10 to about 20 grams.   The golf club head according to claim 19, comprising a weight member positioned in the first recess and a vibration damping member positioned in the second recess. The plurality of recesses are
A first recess that is substantially laterally aligned with the ball striking surface in a front-to-back direction and extends in a heel-to-toe direction;
A second recess positioned substantially longitudinally relative to the ball striking face in a heel-to-toe direction and positioned in a heel portion of the cavity;
The golf club head according to claim 1, further comprising a third recess that is substantially longitudinally aligned with the ball striking face in a heel-to-toe direction and positioned in a toe portion of the cavity. A damping member positioned in the first recess;
A first weight member positioned in the second recess;
The golf club head according to claim 23, further comprising: a second weight member positioned in the third recess.   24. The golf club head according to claim 23, wherein a fourth recess is provided between the second recess and the third recess.   The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein both the weight member and the vibration damping member are positioned in at least one of the plurality of recesses.   The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the golf club head is an iron type golf club head.

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